Clutch.



PATBNTED 1120.4, 1906.

I'. MULLER. cLUToH. APPLIOATIOI FILED H2B. 23. 1905.

FRIEDERICH MLLER, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

application and rbmfy 2a, 190s. semi a. 246,839.

To aN, whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I. Fmsnnmcn MLLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elizabetn, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying draw- My invention relates oenerally to clutches, and as herein embodied is designed to pro duce afriction type of clutch employing mechanism which is normally effective in connecting the driving and driven members for the transmission of motion from one tothe other and which may be disengaged at will.

The object of my invention, briefly stated, is to cause the several engaging members in a clutch of this character to become self-adjusting for wear further, to cause such members to simultaneouslymove into or out. of engagement, so as to avoid transverse thrust or unequal strain upon the shafting, and, finally, to cause the pressure under which the several members act to be equalized between them in order that they may be equally effective.

The accompanying drawings illustrate mechanism sultable for carrying my invention into effect. I wish it understood, however, that I do not limit myself to the mechanism shown, as various changes may be made therein or'other mechanisms employed operating in substantially the same manner to reduce practically the same result.

n the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional view showing a portion of a reversing countershaft having oppositelydisposed clutches mounted thereon under the control of a single shift-lever. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view on the line Sz S2 of Fic'. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View on the Tine s3 s# of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail. viewshowing the engaging end of one ci' the clutch-arms and a portion of the driven member with which it cooperates, and

5 is a sectional view of the same.

Referring now to the drawings, I have shown a counter-shaft 1,. having mounted thereon two oppositely-dis osed clutches, identical in construction an operation and consisting, respectively, of a driven member 2, a driving member 3, and inter osed mechanism 4, acting normally to estaiilish a driving connection between the members 2 and 3 for the transmission of motion fromone to the other.

The membe 2 is shown loosely mounted u on the shaft, and while it may serve as either the driving op driven member it will for purposes of description be hereinafter considered and termed the driven" member. it is preferably given the form of 'a drum having a removable cap 5, which is fitted oiltight to provide a chamber interiorly thereof suitable for containing the member 3 and clutch mechanism 4, together with a body of oil or other lubricant insufficient quantity t'o partially or Wholly fill the chamber.

The member 3, to be hereinafter termed the driving member, is fast upon the shaft and is shown as a sleeve, which is flanged at 6 and grooved at 7 to rovide requisite supports and guides for t e mechanism 4, which is mounted thereon. l

The mechanism 4, constituti the clutch proper, comprises a lever 8, whc is pivoted at one end 'upon a drive-pin 9, projecting from the ange 6 zof the member 3 and is shaped about centrally' of its length to enter the groove 7, which serves as a guide to limit the play thereof. Pivoted at 10 10 upon the free end of the lever there are two arms 11 11, preferably curved, as shown, to encircle the member 3. The arms 11 abut at their free ends 12 12 and combine with the lower end of the lever as a connecting-link to form a sectional ring, the expansion and contraction of which is controlled by the`lever 8 and serves to throw the clutch in and out of operation, as will be later on explained. At suitable points within their length, preferably about centrally thereof, the arms 11 11 are rovide with enlarged bearings 13 13, designed to frictionally engage the inner peri hery of the driven member 2 and normali eld in contact relation therewith under t e yielding action of one or more springs 14, arrange as shown, to pull the lever inwardtoward the From the foregoing it will be seen that when the. clutch is thrown into operation the load resists movement of the driven member 2.V On the other hand, the movement of the power-shaft 3 and the flange 6, which is keyed to the shaft, will exert a constant pull upon'thc pivoted end of the lever 8 through the pin 9 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the effect of which will be to ('.hange the angular position of the pivf otal points 10 and 10 ofthe arms 11 l'ljthere-r1 by increasing the distance betweenthe IOO g l l l esi-1,532

periph aries of these. arms, or, what is tir` same thing, increasing tlee'dianieter of the ring formed by these two arms, and thereby bringing these arms into engagement with the driven member to impart motion thereto. Any variation of the load will obviously be followed by a corresponding variation in the ull or pressure exerted by the driving mem- Eer 3 upon the pivoted end of the lever 8, due

ro to the fact that when tno clutch is in opera-- tion the load resists movement of the. driven member 2. This resistance, obviously operating against the non-pivoted cnd of the lever 8, tends to retard rotative movement of i5 this end of said lever, and therefore change the relative inclination of said lever with respect to the member 3. The arms 11 and 11 being of different lengths and pivote-d at different points near the free. end of said lezo ver, their consequent expansion or separation-due to the inclining of that portion of the lever 8 as forms a connecting-link therebetween-serves to force outwardly and into eater or less positive frictional engagement .2 5 with the member 2 the bearing faces or members 13 13 on said arms. lt will therefore be apparent that through the action of the lever 1n normally tending to spread or separate the arms they become thereby self-adgo justing to take un for wear at the bearings 13 thereof, and as they fulcrum upon each other the driving power or pressure is automaticglly eqnalized between them, and 'they move simultaneously in or out of engagement with 3 5 the driven me ber under a force which is at all times proportionate to the resistance o the load. Y

I n order to avoid lost motion or delayed action, 'the springs 1,4, above referred to, are

4o employed to su p ly the initial pressure necessary for norma ly establishing a driving connection between the clutch members-#that is to say, such s Arings act to p ull the lever.8 towardthe sha the arms and maintain the bearingoints thereof in contact relation with the riven member under ayielding pressur nstancesthe use of one or more springs may reve desirable; but they are not essential to 5 the Operation of th.

tol insurean immediate coperaion on the Pwst As a means of-avoidmgldirect contact and thejresulting wear upon t earms 11 bearingblocks 15 may be interposed between the same Pand the inner eri hery ofthe drivenmember. When suc books are employed, the arms 11 are socketed, as shown in Figs. and 5 to receive the same,which are spring- 6o seated therein and secured by a pin 16, passing through a slot 17 The necessaryslippage to prevent shock and insure va gradual engagement of the bearings with the driven mem er. is obtained in the usual manner by forming the contacting surfaces ata slight or 1n adirection to spread4 I n many' device and serve simply angle and providing an annular shoulder 18 up'on the inner periphery of the driven member, which acts as a positive stop against which the bearing-blocks rest when the clutch is in full operation.

It being understood that the clutch is normally engaged, I will now describe means for driven members.

ted, as indicated at 19, and pivotally mouz.. ed in the slot there is a dog or pwl El), which is shaped-at its free end to ent-er a. longitudinal groove 2l in the shaft, in which it is yieldingly held by the lever 8 under tbe tion of the spring 14. The rnovei'nf. dog to produce the required adyusl nent i the lever S is eieclied by a cam-rod` slidingI in the roove 'El of the shaft. One end oi the rod is oeveled in order that the lever'S may be gradually shifted, and as the rod is nio-veis it acts to earn the dog out of the groove, causing the latter to in turn act upon the lever 8 and swing the free end thereof toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2 in a direction to change the relative position of the pivotal points 10 10 and draw the arms 11 11 tc ether until the distance separating the bearing-points 13 is less than the internal diamewhich two oppositely-disposed.clutches are i mounted upon the same shaft, the cam-rod l22 is beveled at opposite ends to cooperate 4with both clutches and is shifted in the usual manner by means ofi-a hand-lever 23, connected therewith through a sli collar 24. When the lever is in-the position s own, both clutches are thrown out. Shifting the lever toward the right or left, however, will result in releasing one or lhe other of the clutches, which becomes at oncev effective in producing rotation 'of the shaft, which motion is trans- 25, f ast upon the shaft and belted to the machine to be driven.

Having thus described my invention, I claimi -1.- The combination ofa dri member, a-driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device having two coacting arms, means controlled bythe load for automatically varying the distance between the acting faces of said arms, and means for rendering said clutch device inoperative.

` 2. The combination of a dri member, a driven member, 'a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device having two coacting arms, means controlled by the load and common to both of said arms to af throwing it out to disconnect the driving andv The sleeve of the driving member is slit ter of the driven member, 1n which position tomatically vary the distance between tne' mitted in the usual manner through a pulley faces of said arms, and means not under the acting faces of said arms, and means for rendenngsaid clutch device inoperative. 3. he combination of a driving member,

` a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device having two coaeting arms, means controlled by the load and common to both arms for autoa driven member, a clutch device interposed l for decreasing the distance between the acting between the two, saidl clutch device comrisinv alever and' two coactino arms andh b means controlled by the load for automaticall changing the relative inclination of the lever and tliereb varying t-lie distance between tlie acting aces of said arms.

5. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device comprising a lever and two coacting arms, means controlled by the load for changing the position of the lever and through it the distance between the acting faces of said arms, and means not under the control of th load faces of said arms.

6. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device comprising a lever and two arms pivoted at different points on said lever, and means controlled by the resistance of the load for automatically changing the relative inclination of said lever and thereby varying the distance between the` acting faces of said arms.

7 The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device comprising a lever and two arms pivoted at one end of the lever, means controlled by the load -for changing the position of the lever and through it the distance between the acting control of the load for changing the position of the lever and through it decreasing the distance between the acting faces of said arms.

8. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device comprising a lever pivoted at one end to the driving member, two arms, one end of each being pivot-ed, at different points, near the other end of said lever and directly acting against each other at their other ends, said arms being provided with faces adapted to frictionally engage said driven member.

9. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two, said clutch device comprising a lever pivoted at one end to the driving member, two arms pivoted at one end to the other end.of said' lever and abutting at their other ends, and means controlled by the load for automatically changing the relative inclination of said lever and thereby proportionately. varying the distance between the acting faces of said arms.

10. The combination of a driving member,

'a' driven member, a clutch device interposed lthrough it decreasing the distance between the acting faces of said arms.

11. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever, two clutch-amis having ends pivoted at different points on said lever and ends each constituting an abutment 1for the other, and

means for varying the relative inclination of said'lever to throw said clu tch-arms into and out of engagement with said driven member.

12. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever, two clutch-arms having ends pivoted at different points on said lever and ends each constituting an abutment for the other, and two separate and distinct means for varying the'relative inclination of said lever, one automatically controlled by the load* and the other under manual control.

13. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interosed between the two com rising a lever connected to the driving mem er, two clutcharms under control of the lever, and two independent means, one automatically controlled by the load andthe other under maiiual control, for varying the relative inclination of said lever and tqereby the positions ol` said arms and the pressure against the driven member.

14. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever connected at onexend to the driving member, a pair of clutch-arms pivotally connected at one end to the opposite end of said lever and abuttiiw at their other end, together with means ihr changing the longitudinal axis of the .lever relative to the rotating axis of the driven member. y

15. The combination of a driving member,

IOO

Ilo

a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever ia ving its longitudinal axis substantiali bisecting the axis of rotation of said mem ers,

and two coacting clutch-arnis under the con- 'trol'ofsaid lever, whereby when said levcra's reatively inclined 1n oncdirection the distance between said arms will be increased,

and when relatively inclined in the other' di- 5 rection the distance between the arms will beA decreased, and means for controlling thepositions of said lever.

16. The combination of a driving member,

a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever aving its longitudinal axis substantially bisecting the axis of rotation of said members, and two coactingclutch-arms under the control of said lever whereby when-said lever is relatively inclined in one direction he distance between said arms will be increased and when relatively inclined in the other direction the distance between the arms will be decreased, means under control of the load for inclining and proportionately varying the inclina Jion of said lever in the direction to increase the 'normal distance between said Y arms, and means under manual control for inclinin saidleverv in the other direction. a 5 I1 7. e combination of a driving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interbetween thetwo comprising a -lever pivoted at one end to` and'near the periphery of the' driving member, 'clutch-arms pivoted 3o at 'different points near the other end of said lever and abutting at their nonpivoted ends -n'ear the pivote'd end of said lever. -.18. The combi-nation oi a driving member, `a driven memberya clutch mechanism interbetween the two comprising a lever fplvoted at one' end to and near the periphery of the driving member, clutch-arms pivoted at different points near the other' end ofA said lever and abutting at their non-pivoted ends near the pivoted and of said lever whereby relative inclination of said lever' in one direc- -tion will proportionately increase, and in the other direction proportionately decrease, the -normal distance between the acting faces of said arms, and, means for effecting such inclination in the direction to decrease said 4 Y V f 19. The combination of adriving member, a driven member, a clutch mechanism interposed between the two comprising a lever ivoted at one end -to the periphery of the rivin member, clutch-arms pivoted at one e end o said lever and abutting at their nonver, and a dog or paw situated in a position to impart motion to said lever in one direction and 'thereby decrease the distance'between the acting faces of the clutch-arms. 20. The c'ombination of a driving member, 6o a driven member, a lclutch device interposed between the two provided with coacting clutching-arms, means whereby said arms -will simultaneously engage the driven` membcn with a pressure pro ortional tothe work 'and without exerting ateral pressure-upon pivoted ends near the lpivoted end of said le' Adevices contro led by said interme the drvrii'ig-shaft and means for throwing M said arms out of engagement with the driven member. 21 The combination of a. driving men'xber. a driven member, a clutch device interposed between the two comprising two arms, means whereby the work resistance of the driven member is transmitted through one arm to the Asecond arm and equalized through both arms to' effect a clutching pressure, and means actin upon one arm and transmitted -te the secon arm for decreasing the clutching pressure.

22. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, clutch mechanism interposedbetween the driving and driven memers and comprising a' lever pivotal] mount ed uponone of said members, an two coacting arms pivotall mounted upon the lever, said-clutch mec anism operating automatically to transmit the motion of the driving member in one direction tothe driven member, and means for imparting movement to the lever to act upon and sirnultaneously throw both arms outgof etiecti-ve-engage,

ment. A

23; A clutch comprisin an outer member,

an inner member', ase -engaging power'- transmittingr connection normally in contact relation the outer member at points throughout the circumference thereof, means for varying the total pressure in accordance with variations in the load which inclfudes means for e'lualizing the ressure of the contact-surfaces and control g meansfor ren-g dering the power transmitting connection inetective.

24. The combinati@ of a drivin member, .al drivenvmember, and cooperating clutch devices, o rativ in one direction onl .interposed `etween said driving and riven members and arranged each to re'c'eive the thrust of the other when under normal action in transmitting the motion of the dri member to the driven member, together-wit means for causing the several clutch devices to become simultaneously inoperative.

i .25. The 'combination of a driving member, a driven member, an intermediate member movable inaplane at right angles to the axis of said driving .and driven members and directly'connected-with and o rable' by means ofsaid dri member,sel -engaging clutch iate member, -saidclutch devices being operative in 'one direction only and serving t o transmit 'the motion 'of 'thedriving member to the driven' memben-'an'dl means for causing the several chr-tch devices to become-simultaneously disengaged.

-26. The combination of a driving' member, a. driven member, an intermediate member movable in a plane atright angles to the'axis of said and driven members, self-en gaging clutch devicescontrolled bysaid in- IOO termediate member, said devices being operative in one direction only and serving nor- `mally to transmit the motion of the driving member to the driven member, and means applied to said intermediate member for causing the several clutch devices to become simultaneously ineffective.

27. The combination of a driving member, a driven member, requisite clutch mechanism including a self-actin g clutch-lever adapted and arran ed to operatively connect the driving and riven members when moving 7 in one direction only, without imposing a rav dial thrust intermediate said members, and

means for forcibly interrupting the operative action of said clutch in diicrent positions in its path of rotary movement.

28. The combination with a supportingshaft, of a clutch comprising a member fixed upon the shaft, a lever connected at one end clutch-arms pivotally connected at one en with the movable end of said lever and at different distances from its end and having their other ends abutting, a spring interposed between the said fixed member and the movable end of said lever, and means for moving said lever in a direction opposed to the action of seid s 30. T e combination, with a driving meinber and a drivenmember, of a clutch device comprising an operating-lever and two 'oppositcly-ecting arms fulcrumed a ainst each other and of di'erent lengths, Wereby said arms ma be simultaneously moved toand from eac other by varying the relative inclination of said operatnrg-lever to which both of said arms are seemed.

31. A clutch-ope ating mechanism comprising,with the and the driven memto said fixed member a pairiof cooperating .name to this specification in the bers, two o positely-acting arms fulcrumed against eac other and of different lengths, and an operati -lever to different points on which the non-a utting ends of said arms are pivoted.

32,. A clutch mechanism comprising, with the driving and driven members, two bearing members angularly braced from a rela tivel common oint onone side thereof and on t e other si e from different. points on a controllingdever, and a controlling-lever having its longitudinal axis substantially at right angles to the axis of rotation of the driving an driven members.

33. A clutch mechanism comprising, with the driving and driven members, two'bearin r members angularly braced against each other at a point on one side thereof and on the other side from different oints on a controllingdever, and a controliing-lever whose longitudinal axis is substantially at right a'ngles to the airisl of rctation of the driving and driven members.

84. In combination, a driving member, a driven member, and a clutch mechanism therebetween comprising an' open ring, and an o erating-lever pivoted to said (riving mem er, the open ends of said ring being pivoted to said lever at unequal distances from its free end.

35. The combination, with a driving member end a driven member, of a clutch device comprising an open ring having its ends brought into lateral juxtaposition', and a radiall -dis osed link connecting said ends,

rcvide an said ink eing extended tol operating-lever to expand and contract said ring.

36. In combination, a driving member, a driven member, and a clutch mechanism therebetween comprising an open ring having its ends brought into lateral juxtaposition, and a radially-disposed link connecting said ends, said link being extended to provide an operating-lever to expand said ring, said lever being pivoted to said driving member.

In testimony whereof I have signed my presence of two subscribin witnesses.

RIEDERICH MLLER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH F. JAQUITH, H. A. KORNEMANN.

and contract Ion 

